Is panthenol safe during pregnancy?

During pregnancy, women's bodies undergo a rigorous ordeal and experience numerous changes. This is particularly true for their skin, which, in preparation for the future baby, is subjected to significant stretching and high tensile forces, potentially leading to stretch marks. These are also promoted by the increase in cortisol levels in the body, a hormone that acts by inhibiting the TGF-β1 growth factor, involved in tissue development and stimulating collagen synthesis by fibroblasts. To prevent them, it is advisable to apply nourishing and moisturising treatments to the most at-risk areas (breasts, hips, stomach, thighs and buttocks). Toned and more elastic, the skin is then less prone to stretch marks. Among the active ingredients favoured for this use, panthenol is particularly notable.

The topical application of cosmetic panthenol is not contraindicated for pregnant women.

Typically incorporated at concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 5%, panthenol, or provitamin B5, is a gentle active ingredient suitable for the sensitive skin of pregnant women. However, as a precautionary principle, when breastfeeding, it is advised to avoid applying it to the breast area. This recommendation is indeed found on the leaflets of medicines formulated with panthenol. These are particularly prescribed in cases of skin irritation, due to the soothing and healing virtues of panthenol.

As mentioned earlier, this active ingredient is particularly favoured by pregnant women for its potential preventive effects on stretch marks. A study, conducted with 50 volunteers, examined the benefits of daily application during pregnancy of a cream containing provitamin B5, vitamin E, hyaluronic acid, elastin and menthol. The researchers noted that this application was associated with a reduction in stretch marks during pregnancy compared to no treatment. Indeed, a third of the women in the treated group and two thirds of those who received no cream developed stretch marks during their pregnancy.

These results suggest that the product may have some utility, although the trial did not include a placebo and may therefore reflect the benefits of massage alone. It is also difficult to draw conclusions about the effect of panthenol itself in the prevention of stretch marks as this active ingredient was used in synergy with hyaluronic acid, elastin, vitamin E and menthol during the study. Furthermore, it is important to note that there is no miracle cosmetic ingredient for white stretch marks, as these mature scars are permanent.